Deck lid latch mechanism



P 8, 1959 J. H. ROETHEL 2,903,285

DECK LID LATCH MECHANISM Filed March 11, 1957 INVEN TOR. zkrr /7. 5062716],

BY M 7TT4R X United St 2,903,285 Patented Sept. 8, 1959 DECK LID LATCHMECHANISM John H. Roethel, Coral Gables, Fla.

Application March 1'1, 1957, Serial No. 645,164

1 Claim. (Cl. 292-229) This invention relates to door latch mechanismsbut more particularly to such mechanisms for use on vehicle compartmentclosures, such for example as deck lids of automobile bodies.

In general, the improved deck lid latch mechanism of the presentinvention comprises an improved pivoted latch device, coacting pawl andratchet means for holding the latch device in latched position, andmeans manually operable from the outside of the deck lid for disengagingthe pawl from the ratchet means. The mechanism embodying the presentinvention is provided with a novel spring arrangement wherein a singlespring is utilized to urge the pawl into ratchet means engagement and tourge the latch device from lid latched to lid unlatched position uponrelease of the pawl from the ratchet means.

The improved latch device of the latch mechanism embodying the presentinvention permits the use of a striker or keeper device which isparticularly effective in guiding and retaining the deck lid in latchedcondition.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, compact,efficient and economically produced deck lid latch mechanism which willeffectively meet all the requirements of the use for which it isdesigned.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the following description and appended claims, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisspecification wherein like reference numerals designate correspondingparts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the latch mechanism and its coacting strikeror keeper device as they would appear when viewed looking outwardly fromwithin the vehicle compartment.

Fig. 2 is a view in part similar to Fig. 1 but showing the latchmechanism in unlatched condition and in spaced relation to the strikeror keeper.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially through line 33 of Fig. 1looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing a constructional detail.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken substantially through line 55 of Fig. 1showing a further constructional detail.

Before explaining in detail the present invention, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited in its application to thedetails of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also,it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employedherein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a latch mechanismparticularly adapted to be mounted on a vehicle body rear deck lid. Theconventional rear deck lid is suitably hinged at its upper end portionso that the deck lid may be swung upwardly to afiord access to the reartrunk compartment of the vehicle body. As may readily be seen byinspection of any current model vehicle, the lower end of the deck lidabuts a body panel member to complete the closure of the compartment. Itis to this panel member 11 or to a suitable bracket member attachedthereto that a striker or keeper device 12 is attached.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the striker or keeper 12 is adapted tobe mounted facing inwardly toward the vehicle compartment and the latchmechanism 10 is complementarily mounted on the deck lid 13 with thelatch bolt 14 thereof below the level of the lower end of the deck lidand facing outwardly. The latch bolt 14 engages the striker or keeper 12by dropping downwardly thereinto.

As illustrated, the latch mechanism 10 comprises a mounting plate 15provided with suitable bolt holes 16 for mounting the same to the inneror underside of the deck lid 13 or on a bracket secured thereto. Thelatch bolt 14 is positioned in spaced parallel relation to the outerface 17 of the mounting plate 15. The latch bolt 14 is pivotally mountedon the plate 15 by a pivot shaft 13 integral therewith or otherwiserigidly secured thereto. The pivot shaft 18 is journalled in a bushingor bearing device 19 rigidly mounted on the plate 15, as will be morefully explained. The inner end of the shaft 18 is provided with a tenon26 adapted to project through a correspondingly shaped aperture in aratchet plate 21, the projecting end of the shaft being riveted orstaked over to retain the ratchet plate thereon. The latch bolt 14 andthe ratchet plate 21 are thus both carried by the common shaft 18 forconcerted pivotal movement on the mounting plate 15.

The latch bolt 14 comprises a lever or finger-like ele ment having amodified figure eight contour. The pivot axis of the latch bolt 14- islocated substantially at the center of the end portion 22 thereof. Whenin deck lid latched position, the latch bolt extends in a substantiallyhorizontal direction with the end portion 22 to the right, see Figs. 1and 3. When in deck lid unlatched position, the latch bolt 14 extends ina downwardly angularly in: clined position, see Fig. 2.

The bearing device 19 journalling the pivot shaft 18 has been describedas being rigidly mounted on the mounting plate 15. It will be noted, seeFig. 3, that the bearing device 19 comprises a bushing having a maincylindrical body portion 23 provided with a shoulder 24 of slightlygreater diameter than the main body portion and a flange 25 of somewhatlarger diameter. The shoulder 24 is undercut to provide a lip portion26. The bearing device 19 is assembled to the plate 15 by being insertedin a suitable aperture of a diameter complementary to the diameter ofthe bushing shoulder 24. The lip portion 26 is then staked or rivetedover to securely retain the bearing device 19 in place on the mountingplate 15.

The peripheral surface of the bearing device 19 main body portion 23provides a journal for a roller 27. The roller 27 may be made of asuitable plastic material such as nylon or any suitable metal havinggood anti-friction qualities. The end face 28 of the roller 24 isundercut so as not to frictionally engage the staked or riveted over lipportion 26 on the shoulder 24. The diameter of the roller 27 is slightlylarger than the diameter of the bolt end portion 22 for a reason tobecome apparent.

It will be understood that in the assembly of the latch mechanism 10,the bearing device 19 is assembled to the mounting plate 15 first, theroller 27 is then positioned on the bearing device, the pivot shaft 18having the latch bolt 14 attached thereto is then inserted through thebearing device and the ratchet plate 21 is then positioned on the tenon20 and the projecting end portion of the pivot shaft 18 is then rivetedor staked over. The roller 3 27 is thus retained between the latch bolt'14 and the mounting plate 15.

The ratchet plate 21 is formed on its periphery with a toothed portion28 forming a pawl or detent engaging surface. Cooperable with thistoothed portion 28 is a swinging detent or pawl 29 pivotally mounted atone end thereof on the shank of a stud or shoulder rivet 30 secured tothe mounting plate 15. The detent or pawl 29 extends in a substantiallyhorizontal direction and is provided with a depending projection orabutment 31. When the projection or abutment engages the tooth 28 on theratchet plate 21 (see Fig. l), the pivoted latch bolt 14 is retained inlatched condition. When the detent or pawl abutment 31 is out ofengagement with the tooth 28 (see Fig. 2), the pivoted latch bolt is inunlatched condition.

It will be noted that the shoulder rivet 30 is provided with a headedextension 32 (see Fig. 6) adapted to receive the coils of a spring 33having two elongated end portions 34 and 35 respectively which crosseach other at the same side of the rivet. The one end portion 34 of thespring extends in a substantially downwardly direction where it engagesa lug 36 on the periphery of the ratchet plate 21. The other end 35 ofthe spring extends in a substantially horizontal direction, the free endthereof being hooked over the end 37 of an actuating rod 38, which endpasses through an extension 39 of the detent or pawl 29. The spring 33is coiled so that the coils 40 thereof are under compression when thelatch mechanism is in latched condition, as in Fig. 1. Upondisengagement of the pawl 29 from the ratchet plate 21 when the pawl islifted upwardly, the end 34 of the spring will exert force on the lug36, the latter being located below and eccentrically of the pivot axisof the ratchet plate. The force exerted will urge the ratchet plate in acounterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. l. The latch bolt 14 willbe thus correspondingly moved to its unlatched position.counterclockwise movement of the ratchet plate 21 is limited by a stop41 secured to the plate \15 and lying in the path of the toothed portion28 on the ratchet plate 21. The other end 35 of the spring 33, whileyielding to permit the raising of the pawl or detent 29 out ofengagement with the ratchet plate, exerts a downward force on the pawlor detent. The next time the bolt 14 is moved from unlatched to latchedposition, the curved portion 28a of the ratchet tooth 28 will cam thepawl or detent upwardly until the tooth passes beyond the edge of thepawl projection 31. At this point the pawl will drop into ratchetengaging position and again hold the latch in latched condition.

The actuating rod 38 referred to above comprises a link between the pawlor detent 29 and a bell crank lever 42 swingable by a key operatedmechanism 43 located in any convenient position on the deck lid (seeFig. 2). The key operated mechanism is conventional and the shaftthereof (not shown) is adapted to be turned in either direction by a keyinserted in the key cylinder of the mechanism. Swinging movement of thebell crank lever 42 in either direction Will cause the actuating rod 38to be raised. Upon the rod being raised the pawl or detent 29 will beswung upwardly, or in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 1and 2. The end 38 of the actuating rod 39 projects through a slot 44 inthe mounting plate 15 and is suitably grooved to receive a hairpinshaped retainer 45 or any siutable spring retainer device.

The lower portion of Fig. 2 illustrates the general appearance of thestriker or keeper device 12 and Fig. 3 illustrates the cooperativerelationship between the latch bolt 14 and the keeper or striker deviceinholding the deck lid in latched condition. The striker or keeperdevice 12 is adapted to be secured to the body panel member 11 or abracket secured thereto by suitable bolts 46 projecting throughconveniently located bolt holes 47 in the striker body. The striker orkeeper device 12, as

best seen in Fig. 2, has the general form of the letter C with theopening facing upwardly. It is preferably made of a unitary piece ofmetal and is provided with a horizontally extending base portion 48having two upstanding side portions 49 and 50 respectively at each endthereof. The inner edge surface '51 of the side portion 49 is contouredto provide a hook-shaped pocket adapted to complementarily receive thefree end 52 of the latch bolt 14. The inner edge or surface 53 of theside portion 50 is flat and extends in a substantially verticaldirection. This surface 53 is adapted to be engaged by the roller 27,which, it was stated above, is of slightly greater diameter than the endportion 22 of the latch bolt '14, as will be more fully explained.

The base portion or bottom wall 48 of the striker or keeper has on itsupper edge surface 54 a guide projection 55 provided with an angularlyinclined face 56 leading into the pocket in the side portion 4?. Thisangularly inclined face 56 is the portion of the striker or keeperdevice first engaged by the free end 52 of the latch bolt 14 as thelatter is dropped into the striker or keeper device on the deck lidbeing lowered into closed position. It will be apparent that as theclosing movement of the deck lid continues after engagement of the boltwith the striker or keeper surface 56, the bolt will be swung in aclockwise direction toward latched position. As the bolt is so swung theroller 27 engages the guide surface 53 of the side portion 50 therebycorrecting any misalignment of the bolt with the striker.

It will be noted that when the bolt 14 is in latched condition, see Fig.1, there is a clearance space 57 between the edge of the bolt portion 22and the adjacent surface of the base portion 47 of the striker orkeeper. This clearance space permits the bolt to overtravel slightly, aswill occur when the rubber seal around the deck lid is compressed by themomentum of the closing movement of the deck lid. As the rubber sealsprings back, the latch bolt assumes the latched position shown inFig. 1. In this position its free end 52 is securely nestled in thepocket in the side portion 49.

From the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that the deck lid canonly be opened by release of the pawl or detent from the ratchet plate.The latch bolt cannot be disengaged from the striker or keeper by beingmoved longitudinally thereof, as may be done with some current deck lidlocks. Movement of the bolt 14 longitudinally of the striker or keeperis inhibited by the engagement of the bolt structure with the innersurfaces of both side portions of the striker or keeper. With a strikeror keeper of suitable width, it becomes normally impossible to disengagethe bolt from the striker by movement in a fore and aft direction. Onlyby smashing the deck lid panel inwardly could this be done. And with thebolt below the level of the upper edge of the back wall 58 of thestriker or keeper, the latch mechanism cannot be jimmied into anunlatched condition from the outside of the vehicle compartment since itis not possible to force a tool beneath the latch bolt.

I claim:

In combination, a latch device mounted on the free edge wall of aswinging deck lid, said latch device comprising a latch bolt having asubstantially figure eight contour, pivot means supporting said latchbolt for swinging movement from an angularly depending lid unlatchedposition to a substantially horizontally extending lid latched position,the pivot axis being substantially at the center of one end portion ofsaid latch bolt, bearing means mounted on said pivot means between saidlatch bolt and free edge wall, and a keeper device mounted on a verticalface of a body panel to which said free edge wall is latchable, saidkeeper device comprising a generally C-shaped frame member having theopening facing upwardly, said frame member having a first side portionengageable by said bearing means and a second side portion providing areceiving pocket for the free end portion of said latch bolt, said freeend portion entering said receiving pocket as said lid is moved towardlatched position thereby to cause said latch bolt to be swung from saidangularly depending lid unlatched position to said horizontallyextending lid latched position, said bearing means engaging said firstside portion to ensure proper alignment of said latch bolt and keeperdevice, said receiving pocket and said first side portion in latch boltlatched position coacting With said latch bolt and bearing means tomaintain the lid against lateral movement as said receiving pocketcoacts with said latch bolt to maintain the deck lid in latchedcondition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,593,011 Bourgon July 20, 2,246,786 Dall June 24, 2,603,963 Allen July22, 2,644,707 Dall .a July 7,

FOREIGN PATENTS 732,190 Great Britain June 22,

